Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Thaliacea Order: Pyrosomida Family: Pyrosomidae Genus: Pyrosoma Species: P. atlanticum Description Pyrosomes are hollow tubular colonies of individual zooids that reside next to one another in a common tunic and result from asexual reproduction. Pyrosomes often produce light (bioluminescence) and are capable of forming...
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Ascidiacea Order: Enterogona Family: Ascidiiae Genus: Ascidia Species: A. mentula Description Ascidia mentula is a large solitary sea squirt that can be over 18 cm in length. Its elongate body is usually smooth, often with low rounded swellings. The test is thick, cartilaginous and translucent...
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Ascidiacea Order: Pleurogona Family: Styelidae Genus: Botryllus Species: B. schlosseri Description These colonial sea squirts form 2-4 mm thick sheets. The zooids (animals) are positioned in star shaped formations. In the center of each star there is a common cloak siphon (opening). Each formation...
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Ascidiacea Order: Aplousobranchia Family: Clavelinidae Genus: Clavelina Species: C. lepadiformis IG-NHM-C2-6 Description This is a colonial sea squirt, although each individual is only attached together by a fine stolon, a root-like extension running between the base of each animal. The body is transparent and...
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Ascidiacea Order: Stolidobranchia Family: Styelidae Genus: Dendrodoa Species: D. grossularia IG-NHM-C2-5 Description Dendrodoa grossularia is a solitary, reddish-brown sea squirt, up to 2 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, which occurs singly or aggregated in dense, bumpy clusters. Individuals are rounded in shape...
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Ascidiacea Order: Stolidobranchia Family: Styelidae Genus: Polycarpa IG-NHM-C2-4 Description Polycarpa grows to a height of 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in). It has an urn-shaped, hollow body with two siphons, one at the top and the other on the side. The body...
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Ascidiacea Order: Enterogona Suborder: Aplousobranchia Family: Polyclinidae Genus: Aplidium IG-NHM-C2-3 Description These are sessile organisms, usually seen attached with a substrate, like rocks and coral reefs. All sp. from this group forms colonies by asexual budding. in some species the colony members are encased...
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Ascidiacea Order: Pleurogona Family: Styelidae Genus: Styela IG-NHM-C2-2 Description These are sea squirts, characterized by their brown or yellow, rough and wrinkled surface. They typically have a length of 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in), but can reach up to 20 cm (7.9 in). They can...
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Order: Amphioxiformes IG-NHM-C2-1a,b Description Amphioxus, plural amphioxi, or amphioxuses, also called lancelet, any of certain members of the invertebrate subphylum Cephalochordata of the phylum Chordata. Amphioxi are small marine animals found widely in the coastal waters of the warmer parts of the world and less...
